I hate flying always have. It means I'm away from home! My last nightmare trip was to Seattle where I didn't sleep for two or three days. Was saddled with a rental car in a strange town, forced to wrestle my way back to the SeaTac, missing my turnoff in the process. Riding the redeye back to Texas in the twilight zone captive tunnel as other red eyed captives traded back and forth to the restrooms.

Unless you're a fighter pilot doing combat there is zero glory or satisfaction in flying. Amen

I hate flying always have. It means I'm away from home! My last nightmare trip was to Seattle where I didn't sleep for two or three days. Was saddled with a rental car in a strange town, forced to wrestle my way back to the SeaTac, missing my turnoff in the process. Riding the redeye back to Texas in the twilight zone captive tunnel as other red eyed captives traded back and forth to the restrooms.

Unless you're a fighter pilot doing combat there is zero glory or satisfaction in flying. Amen

My best over all experience is British Airways. But I cannot tell the others apart in service quality. As a side note: Our plane was struck by lightning coming from Kansas City to Chicago. It was pretty somber. Nobody moved a muscle, holding their breath and clenching their seats as the cabin lights flickered. Then as we kept ascending, we breathed a sigh of relief and our moods returned to a bit happier than normal.

My best over all experience is British Airways. But I cannot tell the others apart in service quality. As a side note: Our plane was struck by lightning coming from Kansas City to Chicago. It was pretty somber. Nobody moved a muscle, holding their breath and clenching their seats as the cabin lights flickered. Then as we kept ascending, we breathed a sigh of relief and our moods returned to a bit happier than normal.

Click to expand...

Sorry about your experience. Glad to know that you had a good experiences overall with British Airways. Frankly for myself I happen to have taken the view for years, to fly British Airways if all else fails. Do you remember the 'dirty tricks' controversy with David Burnside against Virgin Airways? it's as if the senior management of British Airways had illusions of Imperial grandeur. It was to me very refreshing that Australian Rod Eddington took over the helm of British Airways for a while: like a breath of fresh air...and yet there were those with an seeming 'Imperial' complex that griped against him...

So I'm glad that someone does indeed like British Airways. (As it happens, I don't.)

PS: in post #2, I uploaded a video about WestJet, the Canadian airline that started in Calgary, Alberta, which remains its main hub. What I like about WestJet - in preference to Air Canada (I have flown both Air Canada and WestJet) is that they don't rely on subsidies; they don't have a subsidy-entitlement character, but are customer- and enterprise-driven, which I think is good in an airline.

I bet the round trip side of the flight back to California was especially pleasant...

Click to expand...

Yes, the return trip was quiet with pretty stewardesses waiting on us. The greeting in California wearing my full dress US Army uniform was not so pleasant. I had no idea how strong the opposition to the war was becoming. It was unfortunate that the soldiers who simply doing what they considered to be their duty were treated like the enemy. In my naivety it took me a long time to understand. I guess I do now, but that still doesn't make it right.

Yes, the return trip was quiet with pretty stewardesses waiting on us. The greeting in California wearing my full dress US Army uniform was not so pleasant. I had no idea how strong the opposition to the war was becoming. It was unfortunate that the soldiers who simply doing what they considered to be their duty were treated like the enemy. In my naivety it took me a long time to understand. I guess I do now, but that still doesn't make it right.